Data From: Ecosystem size shapes antipredator trait evolution in estuarine threespine stickleback

Ecosystem size is known to influence both community structure and ecosystem processes. Less is known about the evolutionary consequences of ecosystem size. A few studies have shown that ecosystem size shapes the evolution of trophic diversity by shaping habitat heterogeneity, but the effects of ecosystem size on antipredator trait evolution have not been explored. Ecosystem size may impact antipredator trait evolution by shaping predator presence (larger ecosystems have longer food chains) and habitat complexity (larger ecosystems may have more diverse habitat structure).

We tested these effects using threespine stickleback from bar-built estuaries along the Central Coast of California. These stickleback populations are polymorphic for Ectodysplasin-A (Eda), a gene that controls bony lateral plates used as antipredator defense. We inferred Eda genotypes from lateral plate phenotypes and show that the frequency of the complete (C) allele, which is associated with greater number of lat...